Bread For Sale - But Which Bread???

I see two types of breads.
Actually, there are many types of bread.  But, within the category of 'Artisanal Lean Breads', I see two types of bread.

Well, what's an Artisanal Lean Bread?
My definition is breads that have
  no oil, eggs, dairy, or other enrichment
  generally used for eating with meals, for breakfast, or to be used in sandwiches
  a 'free form' (i.e., not baked in loaf pans)
  been formed by hand
  generally been mixed by hand

Two different kinds of bread?  Yes - they are Wow Breads and Ahhh Breads

Wow Breads are those that when you taste them, you go Wow!   Those breads are of an unusual taste.  Think of that garlic rosemary bread you had on the side of your meal at the Italian restaurant.  It was soft with a crunchy crust and flavorful with the taste of rosemary and garlic.  You took a bite - and said Wow.  You wanted more.  Then you find out that there are more varieties (rosemary and thyme, hot peppers and cheese, oregano and parmesan, flax seed and meal, fig with honey or fennel seed, dried dill and onion, honey whole wheat and bread with steel cut oats) and you ask about the bread schedule as you plan your next visit to the restaurant.

These breads can be made in many varieties but the distinct attribute is that the flavor/taste comes from the added ingredients - herbs, dried vegetables and even coarse grains or added flavors from whole grain flours.

Ahhh breads are the result of great effort by the baker to draw out the flavor in the wheat flour itself.  Careful mixing and fermentation  - even grain selection for the flour(s) used in the bread - matched with higher hydration (water to flour ratio) produce a subtly flavored bread with a unique taste that is enjoyed fully with no butter or addition.  Often this bread has an open crumb (internal structure) with a glossy on the inside and a very crusty exterior.  Today, bakers that go this route often use a leavening mix that is made from a levain - or what we might call sourdough in the US - though it can have varying degrees of 'sourness' - and often is not sour at all.  The baker's unique levain management results in the unique taste of the bread made by the baker.
The Ahhh comes not only when one tastes the bread, but often that's the response when people see the loaf cut and laid open.  Like a fine wine, this bread is appreciated.  The nuances of taste come through and you enjoy the bread, the company, the rest of the meal.

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So which bread should the Cottage Food Operation Baker make for sale??  
                    Wow Bread?                   or Ahhh Bread??

Woe Nellie - let's look at other factors first.  Other Factors?  Of course.  There are always other factors.

• "Eatability"  - What do people WANT to eat that they cannot make for themselves, that reminds them of another time in their lives (like when mom made bread and the memories of growing up), that 'hits the spot' as to taste, that fits into their schedule and menu.  While the satisfaction of the Wow breads are immediate, the subtleties of Ahhh breads are best when there is time for slow enjoyment.
• The "When eaten factor" - When will people be eating the Bread.  Certainly the yeast breads in the Wow category are best when fresh - when actually still warm.  They have a shelf life of about 3 days, but the Wow factor declines after about 30 hours or so when it just gets to be bread, albeit with a unique flavor.   The Ahhh breads probably don't hit their peak until the bread is about 5 or 6 hours from the oven - and keep their special nature for a couple days after that.  A whole loaf can be put into a warm oven for 10-15 minutes to crisp up the crust and even if done 24 hours after coming out of the oven, it's as 'good as new'.  
• The "Popularity" factor - In today's busy world, there are lots of people who want a taste awakener or Wow in life - bread or otherwise.  They feel that they have little time - and want that pop.   Fewer people want to sit and think about things such as the nuance flavors in the well developed dough that made the bread and the variety of textures they are encountering as they take a bite.  Some - but fewer.  
• The Baker "Wanna" factor - This is the motivation of the baker.  Does he(she) wanna make that bread?  Does it use his/her skills?  Will their peers look at the bread and be envious?  So, in short, does the baker wanna make this bread?
• The Baker Time Factor - the two breads have different processes - and differing levels of forgiveness in those processes.  When  bakery is 'working' the same 10 or 12 hours per day, a routine is established and that routine is done day in and day out.  But, the Micro Baker probably doesn't have a regular schedule in the kitchen.  Life gets in the way - and a rigid time schedule probably won't work.  So, a more forgiving process is better for the Micro Baker.  That leads to the Wow Bread.
• The Ahhh breads are few - a white bread, a bread with a larger portion of whole grain (maybe some rye), maybe even a high ratio whole grain.
• I consider focaccia and ciabatta as separate breads from either the Ahh or Wow bunches.  In fact, I have had focaccia in my rotation of Wow breads.  

Analysis of the Other Factors and Conclusion

Based on the above, I think the Wow Breads will have greater appeal to 'the masses'.  The risk of having many different varieties of Wow Breads is that some won't really prefer the variety you are making because you can't please them all, all the time.  

Does that mean that you never make Ahhh Breads?  Maybe not.  A high hydration, long fermented, big holed white bread with crispy but thin crust has it's place in a rotation of Wow Breads - but I don't think that it replaces that list.  

All Purpose or Bread Flour - What's to be used in High Hydration Bread??

Today (7/8/17), in our bread class, we mixed some high hydration dough in two buckets.

1 - 1000g Bread Flour with 800g water, 22g salt and a scant pinch of yeast.  

2 - 1000g All Purpose Flour with 780g water, 22g salt and a scant pinch of yeast.  

The Flour and water were mixed and let sit for 30 minutes or so.  Then, every 15 minutes or so, classmates did a stretch and fold right in the bucket (as many classmates as were willing) so they could feel the changes in the dough and this was repeated 3 times.  While I didn't touch the dough, visually, the bread flour bucket dough looked more silky.  

After three stretch and fold repetitions, the buckets were closed (around 10:15 am).  Then, around 11pm, the buckets were compared - and the fermentation in the bread flour (BF) bucket was taller than the AP bucket.  

The buckets  prior to dumping the dough to form the loaves.

To make the bread, the AP bucket was emptied first - and measured into three pieces of about 600 grams each.  Another gentle stretch and fold operation was done and the dough placed in banettons.  The covered banettons were placed in a slightly warmed oven for 30 minutes and then removed and place on the counter (covered) for 25 minutes while the oven was heated for baking (500º).  

Two doughs place on pre heated stone.  After they 'firmed up', the baking pan (with dough inside) was added  Note how flat - not encouraging.  

When the oven was heated, two doughs were placed on parchment paper and slid onto a preheated baking stone.  After the doughs formed a lower crust, the third dough was put into a 3qt oven-safe covered pan (cold dough and cold pan) to bake.  The loaves were misted with water and a pie tin with water was placed on the top rack of the oven.

The loaves were baked to color with the cover of the 'pan bread' being removed after the internal temp of the dough reached over 200º.

When the third AP dough was placed in the pan, the BF doughs were placed in banettons for their final proof.  

After the last AP loaf (the pan loaf) came out of the oven, two BF doughs were placed on parchment paper and loaded onto the stone.  The third BF dough was placed in the now warm baking pan.  The pie tin with water was placed at the base of the oven this time (as it appeared that there was still a great deal of water in the pan from the first loaves - and normally, in the course of 30 minutes, the pan goes dry.


Here is a cut AP loaf.

Not bad.  Lots of holes.  Can't complain - except that they really aren't very tall.

Here is a cut BF loaf

Still lots of holes but apparently a little taller

Here, the six loaves are compared from the outside.  In the pic on the left, the BF loaves are on top - and the AP loaves on the bottom.  But, it is hard to tell from this view.  

On the right - you can see two loaves side by side - with the BF loaf on the left and the AP loaf on the right.

After cutting them in half, here they are side by side

And, compared right next to each other, here you see the difference

The loaves on the left are the BF loaves.

The BF loaves were impressive - on their own and by comparison to the AP loaves.  This held true for all of the loaves - whether free form or in the pan.

For both recipes, the pan loaf was the tallest.  

After totally cooling (overnight), I tried the 'taste test'.  The crumb tasted about the same - no significant differences.  But, the mouth texture was a little softer with the AP flour.  

Potential causes of the difference?

Certainly the Bread Flour (higher protein) could be the reason for the higher rise.  It is good to know that there is a difference - and that we are maximizing our size with bread flour.  

Potentially, by placing the dough into a 'more mature' hot oven (after the first loaves have baked) a higher rise could result.  

Going forward   

Recap - the batches were 1000 grams of flour with 780 grams of water for each (although the BF batch got 800g) with 22 grams of salt and a scant pinch of yeast in each.  Both were mixed (flour and water) by hand, left to sit for a half hour, and then the salt/yeast was added in and 'pinch method' mixed by hand.  Then every 15 or 20 minutes, the dough was stretched and folded by the students (8) who wanted to feel the transformation in the dough - 3 times.  The doughs were treated the same.  Then the tops went onto the buckets and they sat for the rest of the class, were transported home and place on a shelf for 10 hours.  I figure that the total time the dough bulk fermented was just over 12 hours.

The dough in the buckets showed great bubble activity.  Both were very active.  

When poured onto the work surface, the dough was very sticky.  I did not do the 'poke test', but it is possible that the bulk fermentation went too long.  

It appears to me that there is no reason to use AP flour for bread (at least not the brand that I was using - which had a 'milled date' of less than 45 days before use.  

But, having about 45 pounds of AP flour left, I need to use AP flour.  Something that comes to mind is to make a 'comparison batch' of lower hydration/higher yeast bread.  We will see........